The invention relates to a laser instrument having a laser unit and a sliding bearing device.
In this case, a laser instrument should be understood as a construction laser such as those that are used in the construction industry for the purposes of defining, transmitting or leveling planes, lines or points. As a result, static construction lasers such as point or line lasers can likewise be subsumed under the term “laser instrument” just like rotary construction lasers, in which the laser unit emits an at least partially rotating laser beam. In particular, the invention is used with rotary construction lasers having a laser unit embodied as a rotational unit, which is why for the sake of simplicity the following specification also relates to this type of construction laser. However, it should be noted that this does not represent a restriction of the protective scope and the invention also relates to all other types of construction lasers having an adjustable laser unit.
Rotary construction lasers having a laser unit embodied as a rotational unit, which emits an at least partially rotating laser beam, are used primarily in the construction industry in order to generate and define horizontal, vertical or defined inclined planes on walls, ceilings and floors. Rotary construction lasers are also used, for example, in scanning operations to establish predefined sections of planes or markings (points, lines, etc.) or to generate them as a reference.
A rugged design is of great significance in the case of rotary construction lasers, because equipment in the construction industry is subjected to extraordinary stresses. At the same time, the equipment must posses a high level of precision. Defining planes or markings or the like must be accomplished with a high level of precision.
Therefore, it is important to achieve a rugged design for the rotary construction lasers wherein adjusting a predetermined angle of inclination of the rotational unit with respect to the housing of the rotary construction laser is precise and simple.
A bearing device for tilting or adjusting the rotational unit of the rotary construction laser must therefore be rugged and easy to adjust. In this case, the rotational unit is essentially adjusted by means of a bearing device. In other words, as a general rule, a rough adjustment is made prior to adjustment, for example, by an operator. This may be accomplished, for example, manually by utilizing levels that are externally visible and attached to the rotary construction laser. Afterwards, the operator may initiate an automatic adjustment, whereby the rotational unit is fine-tuned (adjusted), for example, by means of servomotors and the bearing device.
The objective of the invention is making available a rotary construction laser which satisfies the above-mentioned requirements. Additional advantages of the rotary construction laser are disclosed in the following specification.
The rotary construction laser described here features a rotational unit. The rotational unit can, for example, be rotatably mounted with ball bearings around an axis of rotation and have a deflection device. The deflection device in this case can be used to deflect the laser beam.
The rotary construction laser further comprises a sliding bearing device with a joint socket and a sliding unit or a first sliding part. The sliding unit has a convex surface in the shape of a cylinder section and the joint socket has a concave surface in the shape of a hollow cylinder section such that the convex surface can be engaged in the concave surface. The rotational unit is connected to the sliding unit such that the rotational unit tilts in a swivel plane during a relative movement between the convex surface and the concave surface.
The concave and convex surfaces sliding on one another may be embodied, for example, in the shape of one or more glide shoes. Tilting of the rotational unit is thus produced by sliding the convex surface on the concave surface.
Very good anti-twist protection is yielded due to the embodiment of the sliding bearing device by means of the described convex or concave surfaces. The sliding properties can be precisely defined and twisting with respect to the axis of the cylinder forming the basis of the cylinder section and the axis of the hollow cylinder forming the basis of the hollow cylinder section is not possible.
Furthermore, the embodiment of relatively large sliding surfaces guarantees great mechanical ruggedness. In particular, there is no point mounting. The sliding surfaces in this case may also be interrupted or have different widths. They may also have recesses, for example, in order to thereby reduce the frictional resistance. It is possible to meet the most varied of requirements because of the concrete embodiment of the sliding surfaces.
The sliding bearing therefore produces very good anti-twist protection that has already been mentioned. The good sliding properties are realized by the predefined sliding surfaces.
In addition, because of the embodiment of the sliding bearing device by means of the defined concave or convex surfaces, a swivel plane is definitely predetermined in which the rotational unit tilts. The swivel plane in this case is essentially perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder forming the basis of the cylinder section. There is therefore a preferential direction (swivel plane) in which the rotational unit can be tilted. This is one advantage over other bearings, e.g., a bearing using a ball, universal ball joint, or cardan joint. In the case of these types of bearings, other guiding means must be provided in order to assure a tilt in a preferential direction. As a result, it is possible to dispense with these types of guiding means because of the invention.
In a preferred embodiment, the sliding unit can include an additional sliding bearing device with an additional joint socket and an additional sliding unit (second sliding part). In this connection, the additional sliding unit has an additional convex surface in the shape of an additional cylinder section and the additional joint socket has an additional concave surface in the shape of an additional hollow cylinder section. In this case, the additional convex surface can engage in the additional concave surface such that the rotational unit tilts in an additional swivel plane during a relative movement between the additional convex surface and the additional concave surface. The additional swivel plane can be independent or different from the swivel plane.
In a preferred embodiment, the swivel plane and the additional swivel plane are at a predetermined angle from one another. The angle in this case can be invariable so that the angle between the swivel planes is determined by the predetermined angle between the axes of the cylinder and of the hollow cylinder. The swivel plane and the additional swivel plane can also be at right angles to one another in a preferred embodiment.
Also preferred is that the radii of the cylinder section and of the hollow cylinder section are essentially equal. As a result, the concave and convex surfaces have the greatest possible contact surface and therefore good guidance and good sliding properties. The radii of the additional cylinder section and of the additional hollow cylinder section can also be essentially equal in a further embodiment. As a result, it also applies here that the additional concave or convex surfaces have an adequate contact surface and therefore good guidance or good sliding properties. The radii of the cylinder section, the additional cylinder section, the hollow cylinder section and the additional hollow cylinder section can also all be essentially equal.
In a further embodiment, the deflection device is embodied such that it deflects the laser beam at a deflection point corresponding to the exit point of the laser beam. The center point or the axis of the cylinder forming the basis of the cylinder section, the center point or the axis of the cylinder forming the basis of the additional cylinder section, the center point or the axis of the hollow cylinder forming the basis of the hollow cylinder section and/or the center point or the axis of the hollow cylinder forming the basis of the additional hollow cylinder section can preferably coincide with the deflection point.
When the center point or the axis of the cylinder forming the basis of the cylinder section, the center point or the axis of the cylinder forming the basis of the additional cylinder section, the center point or the axis of the hollow cylinder forming the basis of the hollow cylinder section and/or the center point or the axis of the hollow cylinder forming the basis of the additional hollow cylinder section coincide with the deflection point, then the height of the deflection point does not change when the rotational unit is tilted. As a result, a simple adjustment of a predefined angle is possible without complicated calculations. In addition, the deflection device can be built into the housing of the rotary construction laser in a compact way. In particular, the housing can be a short distance from the deflection device. This would not be possible with a height adjustment or a change in the distance between the deflection device and the inner housing wall such as those that occur in the case of other known mountings. The sliding bearing described here thus makes a compact and space-saving configuration of the rotary construction laser possible.
Tension springs can preferably be provided, by means of which the concave surface and the convex surface can be pressed together or pulled toward one another. As a result, it is possible for the concave surface and convex surface to remain in contact in all positions. Similarly, additional tension springs can be provided, by means of which the additional concave surface and the additional convex surface can be pressed together or pulled toward one another. The effect of the springs in this case as well is that a predefined force acts on the sliding surfaces and therefore an essentially constant or adjustable sliding property is achieved essentially independent of the position of the housing of the rotary construction laser.
In a preferred embodiment, a safety device firmly connected to the joint socket can also be provided, by means of which the sliding unit can be prevented from falling out of the joint socket. Similarly, the additional joint socket can also feature an additional safety device, by means of which the additional sliding unit can be prevented from falling out of the additional joint socket.
In another preferred embodiment, the convex surface can be produced of material whose sliding property has been modified. The concave surface in this case can be produced of material whose sliding property has not been modified so that a good sliding property is achieved. Likewise, the additional concave surface can be produced of material whose sliding property has been modified and the concave surface and the additional convex surface of material whose sliding property has not been modified. For example, the concave surface and the additional convex surface can be produced of normal plastic and the convex surface and the additional concave surface of plastic whose sliding property has been modified. This results in good sliding properties between the concave and convex surfaces as well as between the additional concave and additional convex surfaces.
The invention is further explained in the following on the basis of the figures.